About the competition

About Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition

Founded in 2015, Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition (SISIVC) is Shanghai’s first world-class violin competition. The Competition takes its name from Isaac Stern to commemorate the musical spirit of Maestro Stern by which a young generation of musicians can be inspired and motivated.

Along with a grand prize of $100,000 USD – the highest monetary award of any international music competition, a jury of renowned artists and a unique performance process, the Competition leverages the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra platform with extensive resources around the world – including close cooperation with famous orchestras, such as China Philharmonic Orchestra, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, etc. The Competition also provides promising contestants with great opportunities including arranging concert tours, album recording and introductions to world-class music agencies, enabling prosperous careers and encouraging winners to embrace their artistic dreams.

The inaugural biennial competition was held from August 14th to September 2nd, 2016 in Shanghai, China. A success by nearly every measure, it is now regarded as one of the leading music competitions throughout the world. Since September 2015, the Competition witnessed its global launch, candidate recruitment, DVD pre-selection and opening in the summer of 2016, breaking a new record of its kind with the 3-week, 25-session and nearly 80-hour length. Soon after the launch, more than 140 candidates from top conservatories across the world submitted their registrations. Tickets were highly coveted when 85% seats were purchased in just a fortnight and hundreds of newly-added ones quickly sold out.